Adjustable steering-wheel.



P. P. G. HALL. ADJUSTABLE STEERING WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 1,1907A Patented Deo. 8, 1908.

PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP P.` G. HALL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AD .TU STABLE STEERING-WEEE L.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application led .Tune 1, 1907. Serial No. 376,818.

To all whom it may concer/n:

Be it known that I, PHILIP P. Gr. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Steering-Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful steering device for boats and consists in providing means for adjusting the ropes or connections of the steering device and take up the slack thereof.

It further consists of novel details of construction all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a steering device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view on line Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 represent sectional views thereof on line y-y, Fig. 2, looking in opposite directions.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, I have found in practice that in the steering devices now in use, the tiller ropes either stretch or contract so that it is often extremely difficult to properly guide the ship, for example when the rope is stretched, it takes a movement of considerable amount before any effect is given to the rudder.

My invention is designed to overcome these defects and I have provided means for adjusting the tiller ropes either separately or together in order that they are always kept at proper tension.

In the drawings I have shown a device for carrying out my invention, but it will be apparent that other instrumentalities may be employed and changes may be made in the construction which will come within the scope of my invention and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited in every instance to the exact construction herein shown and described.

1 designates a wheel or ring having the handles 2 projecting therefrom and which has, connected therewith or forming part thereof, a drum 3 which may be of any desired size and style.

4 designates an opening passing longitudinally through said drum and in threaded engagement with the wall of which, is the screw 5 having the head 6 thereon, which preferably projects beyond the plane of the spokes 7 o f the wheel.

8 designates the support for the drum which is carried by plate 9 which is provided with suitable openings 10 for attachment to a suitable part of the boat or similar vessel. Also mounted upon the stem 8 is a drum 11 which is provided with a series of openings 12 in the face or plate 13, said openings being made at intervals around said face and which are adapted to receive at the proper time the end of the screw 5, it being understood that in this manner the two drums 3 and 11 can be rigidly secured to each other and can rotate together around the stem or support 8, it being understood that the said stem is provided with the threaded end 14 which is adapted to receive a nut 15 in order that the parts are locked in proper position with respect to each other.

One of the tiller ropes as 16, is connected to a suitable point on the drum 3 and the other tiller rope 17 is connected to a suitable point on the drum 11, it being understood that said tiller ropes are engaged with opposite sides of the rudder in any suitable manner and pass in any desired manner to the steering device and are wound thereon in such a manner that when the wheel or steering device is turned in one direction, one rope will exert a pull uponthe rudder to turn the same while the other is slackened off. Should one of the ropes as for instance, 16, become slack, by reason of stretching or from other causes, by loosening the screw 5 and removing the same from engagement with the.opening 12 of the drum 11, the said drum 3 can be rotated with respect to said drum 11 until the rope 16 is at its proper tension, when the screw 5 is caused to again engage with one of the openings 12 and the parts are ready for proper steering of the boat, it being understood that should the other rope 17 become loose the same operation is repeated excepting that the drum 11 will be rotated, instead of the drum 3 until the rope 17 is in proper position.

From the above it will be seen that both the ropes 16 and 17 can be tightened or one or the other without affecting the opposite one, the advantages of which are obvious.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a steering device, a support, drums rotatably mounted thereon and relatively rotatably adjustable, and removable means independent of and removed from said support and passed through one of said drums and engaging the other for connecting anddisconnecting said drums.

2. In a steering device, a support, a plate carrying the same, drums rotatably mounted on said support and relatively rotatably adjustable, one of said drums having" a plate with a plurality of holes, and means inde-` pendent of said support and carried by one of said drums and engageable With one of the holes of the last mentioned plate, whereby one or the other of said drums can be concentrically adjusted on said support.

8. In a steering device, a support, a pair of drums mounted thereon and relativelyro-y tatably adjustable, tiller ropes connected one With cach drum and a screw vcarried by one drum adapted to engage with the other for locking said drums in adjusted position.

4. In a steering device, a support, drums rotatably mounted thereon and relatively rotatably adjustable, tiller ropes,-one connected; with each of said drums, a` plate carried byl one of ysaid drums having a plurality of openings therein, a screw carried by the other openings and means carried by said screw n ifo-r operating the same.

6. In a steering device, a support, drums rotatably mountedv thereon and relatively` rotatably adjustable,l and movable means independent of and removed from saidsupport a-ndfpassed through one of said drums and engaging the other for connecting andA disconnecting saidv drums.

PHILIP P. c.' HALL.

Witnesses JOHN A. VVIEDERSHEIM, v ,(3. D. MCVAY. 

